Insomnia
by StrangePurpleTortoise
Summary: Jessie and James cant sleep... so they play a game to pass the time. James says more than he means to. rocketshippy, of course!


I lay on my back, staring at the wooden ceiling. It wasn't the first time I had had trouble sleeping. Ever since we had met those kids and that little yellow rodent, I had found sleep hard to come by. Our lives seem to be just a bad dream, the same old thing over and over again. Many times, James and I have contemplated calling the boss and telling him that the rat is just too strong for us, but really we both know that would be the end of our Team Rocket careers, and that's if we are lucky. Most agents who don't make the cut are disposed of... and as much as our lives suck right now, none of us are prepared to throw them away. Anyway, we might get lucky someday, and grab the thing while the boy's back is turned.

I rolled over and sighed.

"Jessie?" whispered James. "Are you awake?"

I mentally kicked myself... I hated showing any kind of weakness in front of James, well, in front of anyone really. But James really depends on me being the strong one, and it upsets him when I'm feeling down. I considered pretending to be asleep, but I knew he knew I was awake. "I can't sleep," I whispered to him.

He sighed. "Neither can I," I heard him sit up in his bed.

"Turn the light on" I said, and I sat up too.

He turned around and held out his hand to me. I couldn't quite make out his face clearly in the dim moonlight that was drifting through the curtainless window, but I could see that he was smiling at me. I hesitated, wondering whether or not to put my hand in his.

"Matches," He said, almost making me jump. "could you pass them to me, there's no electricity, we'll have to make do with candles."

I was glad he couldn't see me blush as I passed him the box of matches, very glad I hadn't taken his hand. That would have been embarrassing...

He struck the match, and it lit up his grinning face as he lit a candle. "We don't have many matches left..." he said as he set the candle on the small table between our beds. "I forgot to tell Meowth to get more." He glanced anxiously at my face, maybe worried that I would hit him with a mallet. I always felt a bit guilty when he looked at me like that, but then sometimes he does really deserve a whack. Ah well, lucky for him, I wasn't in the mood to hit him anyway.

Meowth was out buying supplies, seeing as he is the only one of us who can go into supermarkets and pokemarts without using a disguise. We could just give him a list with all the things we need on it, and he can pretend to be a normal, non-talking Meowth. We can't go into shops in our uniforms without someone calling the police, or freaking out and trying to give us all the money in the tills so we wont shoot them. Sometimes I really hate the R on our jackets. People take one look at us, and its always 'Ahh, noooo its team rocket! RUUUNNNNN!'

I sighed, and heard James sigh at the same time. We looked at each other and chuckled. My stomach rumbled and I blushed. James jumped to his feet and said "Feel like a midnight snack?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well I am quite hungry, but we don't have any food, remember?"

James just smiled at me and reached under his bed for his bag. He pulled out a little pot, and disappeared into the kitchen, with the candle. I didn't really want to leave the warmth of my bed, but I could hear the clatter of pots and pans from in the kitchen, and I wanted to see what he was doing in there. I was just about to get up, when James came back in.

"What was in that little pot?"

James tapped his nose. "Our midnight feast" he smiled and sat back in his bed. "Lucky for us, even though this place doesn't have electricity, it does at least have gas" he grinned.

It was always hit and miss with these team rocket cabins, although all the cabins were similar, some were better furnished than others. Some would have gas, electricity, running water, carpets, a shower, even food, but most were just like this one, just two beds and a gas cooker in the other room, and bare floorboards and walls. This one had no electricity or running water, but there was a stream right by the cabin so at least we didn't have to go far for water.

"Well, do you want to play a game?" asked James. How did he always manage to sound so chipper?

"Yeah, sure!" I smiled at him. "What do you want to play?"

His face fell. "I didn't think of that."

I had an idea... "How about-"

"-NOT truth or dare" said James, he knew that was what I was going to suggest.

"Hmm... OK, well how about the game where one person says a word, and the other person has to say the first thing that comes into their heads?"

"Ooh, I don't think I've played that before," said James. "Can I go first?"

"Sure, I'll say a word and you just have to say the first thing you think."

"OK, go," He said, and he lay back and shut his eyes.

I stayed sitting up, watching his face. "Water"

"Ummm..." His forehead creased in concentration. I hit him with a pillow.

"You aren't doing it right, you have to let your mind go blank. That shouldn't be too hard for you...

"Hey" he sat up and looked exaggeratedly insulted. "Why, I have never been more insulted in my life," He said, jumping out of his bed. "Hmmpf!" He said as he marched into the kitchen.

"James!" I groaned after him, "Come back!"

"Never!" said James, but just seconds later he came back through the door, carrying two bowls of rice.

It was just plain white rice, but right then it looked to me like the most delicious thing on the planet. My stomach growled as he sat on his bed with the two bowls. James smiled at me, and handed me a steaming bowl. I finished the whole bowl in a few seconds, and James did the same. He smiled again, and said "I thought that rice would come in handy, I was going to save it in case we got stranded on a mountain or something, but I thought we might as well have it now,"

"Well I'm glad you did, that was the best rice I have ever tasted!"

James blushed slightly. "Well, it was just rice..."

I heard the gentle pitter-patter of rain begin to hit the roof, getting louder until it was a complete downpour. I hoped the roof was waterproof.

Suddenly I remembered Meowth and my hand flew to my mouth. "What about Meowth?" I felt so guilty, he was out in the rain and I hadn't even thought about leaving him any rice.

"Don't worry," Laughed James, reaching over and patting my head. "I left him some rice for when he gets back, which should be any minute now,"

Right on cue, the door slammed open, shaking the whole building. A very drowned-looking cat dragging a basket of supplies staggered through the door. I jumped to my feet and shut the door, and Meowth shook himself, managing to soak me. Lucky for him, I was in too good a mood to get angry...

James and I looked at Meowth. His fur was matted with mud and leaves, and he was soaked through to the skin. His fur was plastered to his body, and water dripped steadily from his chin and his paws. I couldn't help but laugh, he looked so strange.

Meowth glared at me, and opened his mouth to say something, but he shivered and before he could say anything, James threw a towel over his head and picked him up. James sat on his bed with Meowth on his lap, and began drying his head and paws. I sat on my bed facing them, and said "Sorry for laughing at you, Meowth..." Huh... I don't usually apologise.

"Its OK Jessie" mumbled Meowth from under the towel. He wriggled in the towel and eventually his head popped out. His fur looked even stranger now, it was spiked up all over his face and head. James giggled and rubbed Meowth's head dry, and Meowth purred.

Once Meowth was dried off, and he'd eaten his rice (and grumbled that there was hardly any, even though he got more than James and me), he curled up in my lap and began to snooze.

"I still cant sleep" whispered James.

"Well we could carry on with that game..." I suggested. "But you have to do it properly this time. Meowth," I said, prodding him awake. "This game is really good, you play it too. You and I can take it in turns on James."

Meowth looked unimpressed. "Yous two play your silly games, Meowth is going back ta sleep" He grumpily rolled onto his back, but he didn't shut his eyes.

James settled down in his bed and shut is eyes.

"OK," I whispered. "Let your mind go blank," He smiled slightly. "Food," I said.

He hesitated for half a second. "Pineapple," He said.

We played the game for ages, with Meowth chipping in when I couldn't think of a word to say. James was really getting the hang of it, answering each word as soon as I said it. He looked almost asleep.

I just thought of a good one "Meowth," I said to James.

"Best friend" mumbled James, smiling a little.

I was FURIOUS. I thought I was his best friend. Huh. Evidently not. I was too angry (well, hurt more than angry, but I didn't want Meowth to know that) to think of another word.

Meowth grinned at me smugly, but suddenly he looked mischievous. "Love," He said to James.

James smiled. "Jessie," he sighed, still smiling.

My heart stopped beating. I shut my eyes, cringing on behalf of James, who I guessed by his calm looking face hadn't realised what he had just said. What had he just said? Did this mean he loved me? I wasn't sure... Wait... did I love him? Well, of course I loved him, but did I _love_ him?

I opened my eyes. Meowth looked very smug, but he wasn't done yet. I saw him lean in towards James. _"Jessiebelle,"_ he whispered.

"WHERE?" screamed James, sitting bolt upright in his bed. There was real terror in his eyes as scanned the room.

"Relax, James, relax. She's not here. Its just Meowth being mean." I glared at Meowth.

James lay back down, but he didn't relax. "That's not funny, Meowth!" He still looked shaken.

I kicked the giggling cat (but lightly) and he crawled grumpily onto the foot of James' bed.

"What were we doing?" asked James. "I feel like I've been asleep..."

"Ummm..." I didn't want to bring the game up, especially if he didn't remember what he had said. But I didn't have to.

"Yous two were playing that game remember" said Meowth. I glared at him, but he didn't take the hint. "And, James, you said more than you should have..." Meowth was cracking up.

James looked confused. "W-what did I say?"

If looks could kill, the icy one I was giving Meowth would have had him buried six feet underground by now, but sadly, looks can't do that...

Meowth fought to speak through his hysterical laughter. "Y-you t-told Jessie you l-l-l-loved her" It was all to much for Meowth and I heard him fall off the bed onto the floor, where he carried on chuckling.

I looked up and I could see just a glimpse of James' face, turning bright red, as the candle burned out.

"Night night kids," chuckled Meowth. "Sleep well..." I could still hear the stupid cat chuckling.

I couldn't sleep. I stayed up all night thinking about love. And you know what? So did James.


End file.
